Orexin is a neuropeptide specifically produced in particular neurons located sparsely in the lateral hypothalamus and its surrounding area, and consists of two subtypes, orexin A and orexin B. Both orexin A and orexin B are endogenous ligands of the orexin receptors, which are G protein-coupled receptors mainly present in the brain, and two types of subtypes, type 1 and type 2, are known for the orexin receptors (non-patent document 1).
Since orexin-producing neurons (orexin neurons) are localized in the vicinity of the feeding center, and intraventricular administration of orexin peptide results in an increase in food intake, orexin initially attracted attention as a neuropeptide having a feeding behavioral regulation. Thereafter, however, it was reported that the cause of dog narcolepsy is genetic variation of orexin type 2 receptor (non-patent document 2), and the role of orexin in controlling sleep and wakefulness has been also attracted.
From the studies using a transgenic mouse having denatured orexin neurons and a double transgenic mouse obtained by crossing this mouse with orexin overexpressing transgenic mouse, it was clarified that narcolepsy-like symptoms that appear by degeneration of orexin neurons disappear due to sustained expression of orexin. Similarly, when orexin peptide was intraventricularly administered to a transgenic mouse having denatured orexin neuron, improvement of narcolepsy-like symptoms was also observed (non-patent document 3). Studies of orexin type 2 receptor knockout mice have suggested that orexin type 2 receptor is important for maintaining arousal (non-patent document 4, non-patent document 5). Such background suggests that orexin type 2 receptor agonists become therapeutic drugs for narcolepsy or therapeutic drugs for other sleep disorders exhibiting excessive sleepiness (non-patent document 6).
In addition, it is suggested that a peptidic agonist that selectively acts on the orexin type 2 receptor improves obesity due to high fat diet load in mice (non-patent document 7). In addition, it is suggested that intraventricular administration of orexin peptide shortens the systemic anesthetic time of rat (non-patent document 8).
In addition, it is suggested that patients with sleep apnea syndrome show low orexin A concentration levels in plasma (non-patent document 9).
In addition, it is suggested that intraventricular administration of orexin peptide improves memory retention of senescence-accelerated model mouse (SAMP8) with cognitive dysfunction (non-patent document 10).
In addition, it is suggested that Orexin type 2 receptor agonist will be a therapeutic drug for cardiac failure (patent document 1, non-patent document 11).
In addition, it is suggested that the daytime sleepiness of Parkinson's disease patients is caused by orexin nerve fallout (non-patent document 12).
In addition, it is suggested that orexin regulates bone formation and bone loss, and orexin type 2 receptor agonist will be a therapeutic drug for diseases related to bone loss such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and the like (patent document 2).
In addition, it is suggested that orexin receptor agonist is useful for the prophylaxis or treatment of sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock, since the mortality was significantly improved by mere continuous administration of orexin from the periphery in septic shock model mouse (patent document 3).
Therefore, a compound having an orexin type 2 receptor agonist activity is expected to be useful as a novel therapeutic drug for narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, hypersomnia, sleep apnea syndrome, disturbance of consciousness such as coma and the like, narcolepsy syndrome accompanied by narcolepsy-like symptoms, hypersomnia syndrome accompanied by daytime hypersomnia (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome and Kleine Levin syndrome), Alzheimer, obesity, insulin resistance syndrome, cardiac failure, diseases related to bone loss, sepsis and the like, further, anesthetic antagonist, a prophylactic or therapeutic drug for side effects
As sulfonamide derivatives, a compound represented by the formula
wherein each symbol is as described in the document (Patent Document 4), a compound represented by the formula
(RN 1422063-50-0) have been reported. The latter compound is an optically active form of “N-(2-benzylpyrrolidin-3-yl)methanesulfonamide” which is excluded from the compound (I) of the present invention. Additionally, compounds represented by the formula
are reported.
In addition, as compounds having an orexin type 2 receptor agonist activity, the following compounds have been reported.
A compound represented by the formula
wherein each symbol is as described in the document (Patent Document 5).
A compound represented by the formula
wherein each symbol is as described in the document (Patent Document 6).
A compound represented by the formula
wherein each symbol is as described in the document (Patent Document 7).
A compound represented by the formula
wherein each symbol is as described in the document (Patent Document 8).
However, it is considered that these compounds are not satisfactory in terms of activity, pharmacokinetics or safety, and the development of a compound having an orexin type 2 receptor agonist activity is still desired.